1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an information display medium, an information managing apparatus, and an information managing method that are used in information communication, and particularly to a technique for visually printing information on various types of recording media including forms and cards.
The present invention also relates to a guidance managing method, a guidance managing program, and an information display medium for providing guidance information to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In factories, various forms are used for managing various processes. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a shipment process for shipping products. As is shown in FIG. 1, first a person in charge of shipment prints out a shipment form (step SH1). This shipment form includes a list of products. Then, the person in charge of shipment inspects products to be shipped (step SH2). Specifically, the person in charge of shipment compares the list of products and the actual products to be shipped. Then, the person in charge of shipment inputs the inspection result (comparison result) to a computer terminal to register the inspection result (step SH3). Then, the person in charge of shipment ships the inspected products (step SH4).
It is noted that in conventional practice, when information such as production management information is changed, the updated information has to be printed on a new shipment form. In other words, the shipment form cannot be reused. In response to such an inconvenience, a technique is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-73138 that relates to a production management system used for managing a process such as a shipment process, the system being capable of efficiently realizing production management using a production management form that may be reused even when the production management information is changed. The disclosed system includes digital paper that is used as the production management form in order to enable rewriting of information as is necessary or desired, an information processing apparatus for processing information pertaining to product management, and communication means for establishing communication between the digital paper and the information processing apparatus. The digital paper may be provided at a predetermined production plant, for example.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-258699, a technique is disclosed that relates to an information recording medium printing system for visually printing information on a card-type recording medium that stores electronic information. According to the disclosed technique, the information recording medium has a recording medium base material including a rewritable area in which changeable information including at least one image as visual information may be rewritten and a storage area for storing electronic information. The rewritable area of the information recording medium includes an area for printing image information corresponding to usage history or a picture of the owner of the card-type recording medium, and an area for printing individual information of the owner and a corresponding image thereof. The rewritable area may be rewritten through thermal wax transfer printing according to the picture and updating information prepared by the owner.
According to the disclosed techniques, an electronic apparatus such as an information processing apparatus or a printer is required for changing the contents (information) indicated on the recording medium. However, since shipping and handling may be performed in various environments, such an electronic apparatus may not necessarily be readily available to the person performing the shipment process. In such a case, it may be more efficient to write down the inspection result manually on the shipment form. It is desired that even in such a case, the inspection result be preserved as process management data for posterior use.
Also, in a case where another person performing a next process uses the shipment form, it may be difficult for this person to read the information written in this shipment form if the shipment form were passed down in its original handwritten state. Accordingly, means for accurately conveying information in such a case is desired.
In process management, it is important to pass down information in an accurate and efficient manner.
Also, in consideration of the increasing awareness in environmental issues and the campaign calling for zero-garbage/recycling not only within factories but on a global scale, technology for realizing information management that can answer to such circumstance is demanded.
In the field of guidance management, for example, a navigation apparatus installed in an automobile uses the GPS (Global Positioning System) to indicate a position of the automobile on a map displayed on a liquid crystal display apparatus. In such a liquid crystal display apparatus, special equipment is required. Also, there is a size limit to the display of the liquid crystal display apparatus. Therefore, the route to a destination has to be displayed in reduced scale, and in some cases, the route can only be partially displayed on the display apparatus.
In response to such a problem, a technique is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-257560 that relates to a navigation apparatus that is capable of outputting a map on paper in order to facilitate understanding of a route. According to the disclosed technique, a car navigation system that provides map information service includes an advertisement information service apparatus made up of a host computer that is configured to provide advertisement information service to plural navigation apparatuses via a network and an advertisement information server, and a navigation apparatus having operations means, map information storing means, and printing means. In this system, when a print command for printing of map information meeting designated conditions is issued by the operations means of the navigation apparatus, the navigation apparatus requests the advertisement information service apparatus to transmit advertisement information, receives the requested advertisement information transmitted from the advertisement information service apparatus, and prints out the received advertisement information and the map information by the printing means. In this way, guidance information that is printed out on paper may be provided to a user.
FIG. 7 illustrates another example of managing steps of a process in a factory using a management form. In the illustrated example of FIG. 7, a reception process is performed at a factory reception upon unloading products transported into the factory. Then, the transporting vehicle is guided to a warehouse (i.e., warehouse A, B, or C). Then, the transporting vehicle unloads the transported products at a designated unloading location of the warehouse (e.g., deck A1, A2, or A3 in the case of warehouse A). In cases such as the present example, a special guidance system is desired that is adapted for an environment in which a normal navigation system cannot be used.
In this regard, a technique is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-86848 relating to a method for aiding access to a searched item (e.g., book) under such a special environment. According to the disclosed technique, a first point corresponding to a starting point within the factory site that is determined beforehand (e.g., entrance of the site), and a second point corresponding to a destination point (e.g., point where the searched book is situated) are input. Then, a path of nodes and routes for reaching the second point from the first point is calculated based on the input information. Then, information is gathered for generating a guidance screen corresponding to a combination of a map screen indicating the calculated path within a screen representing the factory site and an attribute screen indicating attribute information of the nodes and routes of the calculated path according to the path order, after which the guidance screen is generated based on the gathered information and displayed at a terminal of a user.
With the development and growing trend toward joint transportation, a delivery area or district may possibly be changed or modified due to integration of transportation services/operations. Also, owing to referral systems providing reference to transportation service agents (carriers) via the Internet, there may be an increasing number of instances in which a new carrier carries in goods to a factory warehouse. In such cases, persons in charge of carrying in the goods may not be familiar with the factory site, and as a result, time may be unnecessarily consumed in carrying in the goods. Also, it is noted that there are companies that regard lines, structures, and carry-in conditions within their factories as a part of manufacturing processes for manufacturing products that are confidential. In factories and warehouses of such companies, tight security measures have to be implemented with respect to goods being carried in and persons carrying in the goods.
Further, with regard to environmental issues and the promotion of the zero-garbage/recycling campaign, printing guidance information on paper for each carrier results in undesirable waste of paper resources. Accordingly, a transportation/delivery system in consideration of such a situation is desired.
It is noted that in the techniques described above, an information processing apparatus or a printer is required for making changes to display contents.
In product shipment and delivery management, processes are desirably executed in an efficient manner according to the progress of each process. In this regard, a carry-in method that can accommodate to various carriers and various conditions in which goods are carried, and also takes into account environmental issues is desired.